While he didn't admit to it, there were signs that Michael Dalessio suffered from substance abuse.

Family members saw it, court workers documented it and the Allamuchy Township man had his share of apparent drug and alcohol-related run-ins the law, a New Jersey Superior Court judge said today.

Unfortunately, Judge Ann Bartlett said, nobody took steps to intervene before Dalessio got behind the wheel in December with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit and caused a head-on wreck that killed a Canadian woman and injured several others.

"The great shame of this is neither your family nor the persons you came in contact with or those people who were handling your prior matters felt this was serious enough to make sure you got help," Bartlett said.

The 31-year-old Dalessio was sentenced to a total of five years in state prison today during the hearing inside state Superior Court in Belvidere.

The sentence, which was along the terms of a plea deal offered by prosecutors, comes after he pleaded guilty last month to a second-degree vehicular homicide charge and six counts of assault by automobile.

As part of his plea to the homicide charge, Dalessio will be required to serve 85 percent of the prison term, or roughly four years and four months, before he is eligible for parole. His driver's license will also be suspended for 10 years once he is released from prison.

'So overcome with grief'

Standing in a three-piece suit with a blue button down shirt and red tie, Dalessio remained silent during much of the hearing, only speaking to ask a court officer for a tissue to wipe tears from his eyes.

His attorney, Kevin Roe, said his client had repeatedly expressed remorse but didn't feel as though he could speak in court today.

"He's just so overcome with grief I don't think he could adequately express his feelings at this time," Roe said.

Deepa Panchal, who was sitting in the left seat of the minivan's center row, suffered a head injury in the wreck. The 53-year-old Windsor, Ontario, resident was taken to Hackettstown Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Several other passengers in the van also suffered serious injuries, including a woman who broke her collarbone and lacerated her kidney and a man who suffered a fractured spine.

Authorities say Dalessio had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 at the time of the accident, well above the 0.08 rate where penalties begin for most drivers. Police also found an open bottle of brandy and six bottles of Jim Beam whiskey in the vehicle, according to court records.

Wishing to trade places

Roe said his client had been "seized by the demon of drug and alcohol abuse" and that Dalessio had stated on several occasions he wished he could trade places with Panchal.

"It's with a very heavy heart we appear today," Roe said.

Standing next to a framed picture of Panchal, Assistant Prosecutor Donald Cox said this case was about the victims who suffered because of Dalessio's decision to get behind the wheel.

"I hope when the defendant is in the corrections system, he takes some steps to address the base problem so he doesn't get behind the wheel again and cause this kind of mayhem," Cox said.

Bartlett said Dalessio's past, which includes municipal court convictions for possession of marijuana and public urination, indicates he very likely has long suffering, severe addiction issues. Like Cox, she urged Dalessio to seek help.

"That's the only path available to you to avoid committing this type of crime again," she said.